The Prudential Center, which like Copley Place, is as much as a pedestrian walkway as it is a shopping center, has reopened.

President Obama, speaking from the White House, called the bombings in Boston “an act of terrorism,” following a briefing by his national security team.

“This was a heinous and cowardly act. Given what we now know about what took place, the FBI is investigating it as an act of terrorism,” Obama said. “Any time bombs are used to target innocent civilians, it is an act of terror. What we don’t yet know however, is who carried out this attack or why, whether it was planned and executed by a terrorist organization, foreign or domestic, or whether it was the act of a malevolent individual.”

With scores of FBI and ATF agents scouring the crime scene, the Boston Police Department said Tuesday that the area near the two explosions will remain closed for the foreseeable future. While the FBI said there is no sign of an imminent threat, Boylston Street remains sealed off from Berkeley Street to Mass Ave. and city and state officials were still encouraging Back Bay residents to stay at home and away from public spaces to allow investigators to do their jobs. There is said to be a good number of backpacks and bags to examine due to the fact that many marathon spectators who fled the finish line had been carrying them with extra clothing for the runners they were cheering on.

Those who did venture out Tuesday saw downtown streets free from any traffic and reams of police officers, bomb squads and ATF officials patroling the area. Military Humvees and police cars lined Boston Common, the oldest city park in the U.S. The 50-acre green is also where runners were funneled after Monday’s incident and many nearby residents poured into the streets to give marathoners clothing and food from their homes.

Marathon Sports, a seven-unit specialty retailer which has a store located next door to one of the explosions, encouraged visitors to its Web site to carry on. The company’s Twitter feed was posted on its home page with the lead item being, “Surreal morning. Know this: Boston is strong, and the running community is unified. We will persevere, prosper and we will run again.”

The Prudential Center, which like Copley Place, is as much as a pedestrian walkway as it is a shopping center, has reopened but it can only be accessed by the Huntington Avenue side. A Prudential Center spokesman declined to say what percentage of the stores were open, noting that it was left to the tenants’ discretion. Copley Place’s 75 stores had the option to remain closed, according to a spokesman for its parent company Simon Properties Group. “With the opening of area hotels, Huntington Avenue and Stuart Street, and with the full operation of the Back Bay T station and the Prudential and Hynes T stations, we have informed the public as well as office and retail tenants that Copley Place is open today, as our building serves as a pedestrian connection,” he said.

J. Crew reopened its three stores in Copley Place as well as its Madewell store on Newbury Street. Talbots planned to keep its Boylston Street store closed Tuesday.

Meanwhile in New York, where more than 10 million visit the city on any given day, according to Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, there was a noticeable increase in police presence. The pedestrian plaza in Times Square was cordoned off with police tape and police cruisers were parked with flashing lights Tuesday morning. Officers were stationed outside the Mandarin Oriental Hotel located adjacent to the Shops at Time Warner.

For pre-fall, Vivetta Ponti reimagined the characters of an antique tapestry through a punkish filter. The result was a collection that looked a tad less sugar-coated compared to previous seasons. While the brand’s signature feminine ad whimsical iconography, including cute animals and butterflies, were still there, a range of tartan pieces, including a coat and a plissé skirt showing floral inserts, as well as maxi-printed puffers, exuded a cool, urban vibe, writes @aleturra85.
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After dominating in the makeup and lingerie categories, not to mention her Fenty line with Puma, Rihanna is getting ready for her next act in fashion.
According to sources, the superstar has been in secret talks with LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton to launch a luxury fashion house under her name. The eponymous collection is said to cover everything from ready-to-wear to leather goods and accessories and is expected to launch later this year in tandem with Rihanna’s ninth studio album.
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Victoria Beckham has developed a power-dressing formula of her own that revolves around elegant tailoring, cozy knits and feminine yet easy-to-throw-on midi dresses — and she keeps returning to it, as it clearly seems to appeal to her growing customer base of women who subscribe to her brand of modern femininity and glamorous yet no-fuss clothing. “Ultimately it does always have to come back to the customer and what she wants,” Beckham told WWD while presenting her pre-fall 2019 collection. “When we do want to do something different, it is about doing it in a way that she can understand, taking her by the hand and showing her how to put the pieces together so that she can try new things and challenge herself.” Report: @natalietheodosi .
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